Groundswell of Grassroots Democratic Activists Give Decisive Endorsement, Bauman Secures More Than 1/3 of Delegate Votes Needed to Win California Democratic Party Chair Position More than One Year Out

LOS ANGELES, CA— In a stunning and unprecedented early display of his dynamic grassroots support in every corner of the Golden State, today the Eric C. Bauman for California Democratic Party Chair campaign announced that it has secured pledged support and endorsements from well over 550 official state Democratic Party delegates.

Ranging from San Francisco and the East Bay to San Diego, Orange County, the Central Valley and the Central Coast, to Southern California and more, over 550 grassroots activists and delegates from throughout the state have officially signed-on to join Bauman’s effort.

Notably, in order to win the election for Chair of the California Democratic Party in the upcoming 2017 election, a candidate must win roughly 1,500 delegate votes. Bauman’s announcement today underscores the fact that he’s won more than one-third of the votes he needs to win this race more than a year before the election.

Upon making public the news that he’s received so many delegate endorsements, California Democratic Party Vice Chair and Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair Eric C. Bauman released the following statement:

“It’s incredibly humbling to have such wide-ranging and overwhelming support from grassroots Democrats in every corner of California. Today’s announcement serves as evidence that activists and Democratic Party leaders are rallying behind our movement and our message of empowering the grassroots, giving voice to those without one, and ensuring California remains the progressive beacon of hope for America.

“These grassroots delegates embody everything that’s great about California and all the revolutionary and innovative accomplishments that we, as a state Democratic Party, have led on, from equal pay and immigrant rights, to gun safety and environmental protection, to standing up for working men and women, fighting to end discrimination based on gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation, fighting for marriage equality, to expanding access to top-notch education and healthcare. There’s no place else that rivals our track record of progress and disruption of the status quo.

“It is such an honor to have this early confidence and support from so many delegates. With that said, I remain resolute in my focus on the 2016 elections – we must keep a Democrat in the White House, expand our majorities in the state legislature and in our Congressional delegation, and win more seats in local governments across California.”

Eric C. Bauman is the Vice Chair of the California Democratic Party and Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, the largest local Democratic Party in the nation with a campaign budget of nearly $2 million per year.

I respect Eric and his leadership, but as a practical matter this is only a preliminary indication of support for an intra-party election a year away. The entire state delegate pool will be up for election / re-appointment in 2017 before the Convention that elects the State Party Chair. Nevertheless, this is an impressive example of advance preparation.